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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2001 Board of Fire Commissioners Rules of Procedure i 74 City of Lansing Board of Fire Commissioners Rules of Administrative Procedure Adopted January 11, 2001 1 J City Of Lansing Board Of Fire Commissioners Rules Of Administrative Procedure The following Rules of Administrative Procedure are adopted by the Board of Fire Commissioners to facilitate the performance of its duties and the exercising of its responsibilities in its advisory capacity as set forth in Section 5.105 and 5.106 of the 1978 City Charter, and in exercising its additional responsibilities as set forth in Section 5-301 and 5-401 of the 1978 City Charter. See attached Duties. 1 OFFICERS 1.0.1 Selection: The Board shall, at the first meeting of each fiscal year, elect from among the voting members a Chairperson and a Vice-Chairperson who shall hold office for one year. No member of the Fire Board shall serve as Chairperson on the Board for more than three consecutive one year terms. However, any individual Board Member may be reelected Chairperson any number of additional one year terms, not to exceed three, if the member has vacated the position of Chairperson for one term. There shall not be a limitation on the number of terms that the Vice-Chairperson may be elected. 1.0.2 Tenure: The Chairperson, Vice-Chairperson, and the Secretary shall take office upon their selection and shall hold office for a term of one year or until their successors are elected and assume office. 1.0.3 Duties of the Board: The Board of Fire Commissioners shall perform the functions and duties set forth in Section 5-106 and Section 5-401 of the 1978 City Charter except where inconsistent with State and Federal Law, conflicting Charter Provisions, or any applicable Collective Bargaining Agreement. 1.0.4 Duties of the Chairperson and Vice-Chairperson: A. The Chairperson shall preside at all meetings and perform such other duties as may be ordered by the Board of Fire Commissioners. B. The Chairperson may appoint such standing and special committees necessary to make an effective administrative and progressive body of this Board and to expedite certain functions of the Board. C. The Vice-Chairperson shall act in the capacity of the Chairperson in his/her absence; and, in the event the office of the Chairperson becomes vacant, the Vice- Chairperson shall succeed to this office for the unexpired term and the Board shall select a successor to the office of Vice-Chairperson for the unexpired term. D. The Chairperson shall be an ex-officio member of all committees. 1 2 SECRETARY TO THE BOARD 2.0.1 The Administrative Secretary for the Fire Chief shall serve as the Secretary to the Board. 2.0.2 Minutes: A. The Secretary shall be responsible for maintaining the minutes of the Board Meetings and shall have them available in suitable volumes. Proposed minutes shall be available for public inspection no later than eight business days after the meeting to which the minutes refer. "Approved minutes shall be available for public inspection not later than five business days after the meeting at which the minutes are approved. Copies of the proposed minutes shall be distributed to all voting Board Members prior to the meeting at which they will be considered for approval. B. The minutes of the Board Meeting shall be filed in the office of the City Clerk as a public record and no official action taken by the Board at any meeting shall be validated or effective until a copy of the minutes of the meeting at which such action was taken is filed with the City Clerk. 2.0.3 Records The Secretary shall be responsible for keeping a record of all the Board's transactions. 2.0.4 Communications,Petitions, and Reports All communications,petitions, and reports shall be addressed to the Board and delivered or mailed to the Secretary. 3 MEETINGS 3.0.1 Regular Meetings_Meetings of the Board of Fire Commissioners will be held on the second Thursday of every month. Meeting places will be rotated at alternate fire stations each time the board meets, or such other place as may be determined by a majority of the Board. If the Board decides to hold its regular meeting at some place other than a fire station, a Notice of the Change in Meeting Place shall be given in accordance with the requirements of the Open Meetings Act. Subject to the Open Meetings Act, the Board may reschedule or cancel regular meetings as necessary to assure a quorum or for some other reason, provided no meeting shall be scheduled so as to conflict with a regular meeting of the City Council. 2 3.0.2. Special Meetings: Special meetings may be called by the Chairperson or by the Vice- Chairperson acting for the Chairperson, or by the Secretary at the request of any two Board Members. The Secretary will provide, if feasible, at least 72 hours advance notice of special meetings to the Board Members. However, the members may elect to waive this provision. In all cases, however, the Secretary shall provide, to the public, at least 18 hours notice of the date, time, and place of any special meetings or rescheduled regular meetings. Notice of special meetings and regular meetings shall be posted at the number one station and in the City Hall Lobby, outside City Council Chambers on the 10 floor of City Hall, and at other locations considered appropriate by the Board. 3.0.3 Public: All regular and special meetings, hearings, records of the Board, its resolutions, transactions, findings and determinations, as well as acts shall be open to the public, except as otherwise provided by law. The public shall have a reasonable opportunity to be heard at all Board meetings open to the public. The name and address of each person addressing the Board will be recorded. 3.0.4 uorum: A. The total number of Board Members that exceeds fifty percent of,the filled Board positions shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of business, and a majority vote of that number of members shall be necessary for official action. Any amendment to a motion is by a majority vote of the members present. B. Whenever a quorum is not present at a regular or special meeting, those present may adjourn the meeting to another day or may meet as a Committee of the Whole for the purpose of considering such matters as are on the Agenda. No action taken at such a meeting shall be final or official. 3.0.5 Attendance: A. A Board Member shall be regular in attendance. In the event a Board Member is absent from three consecutive regular meetings or twenty-five percent of all meetings in any 12 month period, unless such absences are excused, any Board Member may ask the subject member to explain their absences. After hearing the explanation, any member may move to excuse, warn, or . recommend replacement of the subject member. Upon the requisite number of votes of the Board, the Board shall recommend to the Mayor the removal of the subject Board Member. B. Such procedures shall not prohibit a member voluntarily resigning from the Board. C. Following the roll call of Board Members at any meeting, the Chairperson shall ask if any of the absent members had requested that their absence be excused. The Secretary or any member of the Board will relate to the Board any such request made to them and the reasons for that request. A motion to excuse or not excuse that member shall be approved by a concurring vote of a majority of the members present. 3 3.0.6 Voting: When a quorum is present, a majority of votes cast is sufficient for the adoption of any Motion, Order, or Resolution. On a tie vote, a Motion is lost. The Chairperson may vote to make a vote a tie, or in the case of a tie may give the deciding vote. The voting shall be recorded by verbal yeas and nays, unless otherwise ordered by the Chairperson. All voting to go to a closed session shall be by roll call vote. Every voting member of the Board of Fire Commissioners shall vote on the matters before the Board unless disqualified due to conflict of interest and excused from voting upon the vote of the majority of the members present. 3.0.7 Order of Business: Agenda: The Chairperson and the Secretary shall determine an agenda for each meeting, and provide a copy to each Board Member one half hour before the start of the evening's regular meeting. The agenda shall include opportunity for public comment on the contents of the agenda and shall be consistent with the "Open Meetings Act", "Roberts Rules of Order, Revised", applicable provisions of the City Charter, or applicable state law. 3.0.8 Parliamentary Procedure: In all matters of procedure, not covered by these Rules or by the provisions of the City Charter or applicable state law, the Provisions of"Roberts Rules of Order, Revised" shall control. SECTION 4-AMENDMENTS 4.1 Amendments: Amendments to the Rules of Procedure may be initiated by any member of the Board at any regular meeting and voted upon at the next regular meeting. All Board Members must be notified of such amendments by mail at least five days before the amendment is to be voted upon. The affirmative vote of five Members present shall be required to amend the Rules of Procedure. 4.0.2 Suspension of Rules It shall require the vote of five Members present of the Board to suspend the Rules of Procedure. 4 DUTIES OF THE BOARD OF FIRE COMMISSIONERS ADVISORY DUTIES The Board of Fire Commissioners advisory functions include; 1. Reviewing the progress and planning of the Fire Administration to insure that all activities are in accordance with City Policy. 2. Review of the Fire Administration's proposed policies and programs or changes in existing policies or programs requiring City Council action and making written recommendations thereon prior to submission to the Mayor and City Council for action. 3. Review of the Fire Department's budget material including capital improvement proposals and making written recommendations thereon prior to submission to the Mayor. 4. Rendering an annual report to the Mayor and City Council prior to December I"of each year which includes a description and evaluation of the department's activities during the previous year including the handling of complaints, if any, and proposals for future plans. 5. If it deems appropriate, develop proposals for new or altered policies and programs and transmit the same to the Mayor and City Council. OTHER DUTIES In addition to these advisory functions, the Board of Fire Commissioners is responsible for: 6. Establishing, in consultation with the Fire Chief and the Mayor, administrative rules for the organization and over all administration of the fire department (except as subject to Collective Bargaining.) 7. Approval of Rules and Regulations for the conduct of the members of the department in consultation with the Fire Chief and the Mayor. 8. Establishing a procedure for receiving and resolving complaints concerning operation of the department. 9. Acting as final authority of the City in imposing or reviewing discipline of the department employees consistent with state law and the Collective Bargaining Agreement, 10. Making recommendations to the Mayor on candidates for the position of Fire Chief, and reviewing any suspension or removal of the Fire Chief by the Mayor. 5 J CITY OF LANSING BOARD OF FIRE COMMISSIONERS RULES OF ADMINISTRATIVE PROCEDURES These Rules of Administrative Procedure are adopted effective January 11, 2001, by the Board of Fire Commissioners. Joseph Marutiak P � Chairperson Joanne Witte, Vice-Chairperson Robert Brown, Jr, Ken Balcer Carlos Barajas Debbie De Leon Gregory Weatherspoon Susan Anderson January 11, 2061 I I 6